Well, being a 3dsMax user myself (and having a Bryce background), I have to say the person who left the comment is most likely thinking strictly in terms of "working in the industry", and not regarding the artwork in question at all.

The reason I say that is, the only validation someone should have to criticize another for working in an app like Bryce or Poser is the fact that having skills in those applications will not land you a job in a major studio or movie FX house or game developement company, where having a career in the 3D industry can earn you a comfortable living.

Before someone spins what I'm trying to say as being yet another anti-Bryce/Poser argument in itself, let me just point out that I drop by this forum because I still feel Bryce is a great 3D program, being used by talented 3D artists, even though I had to eventually move away from it (not by choice) for production purposes.

THIS is where the perceived bias comes in, and how it's easy to spot a professional 3D artist who's making legitimate crits from a wanna-be who's simply trying to sound important.

Professionals usually don't frown on an image or animation simply because of what program was used in it's creation. They will simply critique the image/animation on it's own merit, and point out any esthetic flaws that might be improved upon. Wanna-be's, who are still in school or trying to break into the 3D visual FX industry, will ALWAYS frown upon someone working with lower-end applications because they have the common but mistaken belief that EVERYONE working in 3D endeavors to land a job at ILM, Pixar, Dreamworks, or LucasArts. They think that everyone should learn Maya, 3dsMax, or Lightwave, because those are the apps that can land you a job at a big name company.

Most of the wanna-be's can't get their head around the idea that some folks simply enjoy 3D as a hobby, or perhaps have no intention on working for someone else, but instead wish to start up their own small company (like I did).

For me, the quality of a piece of art has NOTHING to do with what program you used, and any crits on such an image or animation should not begin with a bias to that factor. I made the move from programs like Bryce to what I'm working with now (3dsMax) for the simple fact of productivity. While working with Bryce and other programs some years ago (non-professionally), I decided to start my own small, indepentant company dedicated to graphic design and 3D illustration for print and advertisements (more currently moving into animation and game developement as well). We do everything from commercial website design (2d) to technical 3D illustration and compositing for commercial print advertisements that have appeared in internationally distributed magazines, etc. Since making the move to a more complete 3D package, I have found the production rate and output speed to be much more efficient than can be done in most so-called "low end" apps. This isn't a bias, it's a simple fact of the way things are as of right now. If future editions of Bryce incorporate a more efficient, production-capable renderer and toolset, then I may consider using it again if it would enhance my workflow.

Anyway, the thing to do has already been mentioned. Simply do not state what application you have used to make your art unless asked. If you state what you are using, you're going to predispose your art to bias. No way around that.

:-)